The Dulce Hawks have never won a state championship in school history.
This year’s girls basketball team is looking to change that. And they took one step in that direction on Friday.
No. 6 seed Dulce won a tight game against No. 11 Peñasco on their home court on Friday, taking down the Panthers 55-51 in the first round of the state tournament.
“I think it meant the world to everybody,” Dulce coach Alyssa Veneno said. “Happy tears.”
It was Dulce’s first win in the state tournament in four years, and the first time for anyone on the team to play at home in a state tournament game. The crowd was large, with likely over 1,000 people present at the game.
“We just fed off that energy,” Dulce junior point guard Bailey Vigil said.
After the game, the Hawks were overcome with emotion in the locker room and meeting their fans and families afterward, though players claimed afterwards it was “just another game” and they were “just taking it game by game.”
Dulce center Sidneyanne Becenti battled with foul trouble the whole game, finishing with four points. She had her first three fouls in the first five minutes of the game, limiting her playing time for most of the first half, then fouled out of the game early in the fourth quarter.
“I don’t want to say it was a good thing, but I think that opened our offense up for the rest of those other girls to step up,” Veneno said. “Which they did tremendously. It really showed that she’s not the only one that can work the inside game. And I think tonight with Syd getting in foul trouble gave those girls the opportunity to show that.”
The Hawks’ shooting was hot for the night, with eight 3-point makes.
Jasmine Keith had the hot hand early as Dulce raced out to a 7-0 lead. She scored eight points in the first quarter, and Vigil added a 3-pointer late to make the lead 15-7.
But the Panthers quickly battled back in the second quarter, and took a lead with nine straight points until an and-one by Vigil gave Dulce back the lead, and the Hawks led by one point at halftime.
Dulce got hot in the third quarter, when they scored 17 points, and a 3-pointer at the start of the fourth quarter by Alaina Vigil stretched the lead to 12, their biggest of the game. But Peñasco refused to leave without a fight.
“That’s been our calling card all year, is just being resilient,” Peñasco coach Mandy Montoya said.
A few quick baskets and free throws, and the Panthers were down by three. Ultimately, the final minute for Dulce came down to free-throw shooting, and Dulce connected when it counted.
In the final minute, Peñasco had a chance to tie, but missed a shot in the final seconds, and Alaina Vigil, who also had a big role on defense, sank two free throws to seal the win.
“We’re just happy and sad at the same time,” said Peñasco’s lone senior, Sylvia Brown. “I’m glad that they have next year, it’s not over for them.”
Alaina Vigil and Bailey Vigil both scored 14 points to lead Dulce, with Alaina scoring all of hers in the second half. Rochelle Lopez and Charnelle Gonzales both scored 14 for the Panthers.
Though the season ends earlier than hoped for Peñasco, with just one senior departing and their top six scorers returning, they expect to have more chances to make deep runs.
“We have everybody coming back,” Montoya said. “We’ve just got to get out of our own way sometimes.”
Dulce will face No. 3 Laguna-Acoma in the quarterfinal for the fifth time this season at the Rio Rancho Events Center on Tuesday. Dulce took one matchup, but Laguna-Acoma won the other three, including in the district championship. Dulce will look to take the advantage by slowing down Laguna-Acoma center Sylvia Gedman by playing physical and hoping to get her in foul trouble.
“Hopefully, we continue to finish all quarters,” Veneno said. “I’m hoping we just come out in all four quarters.”